7th Warrior Trilogy2 - A New Light
by DragonLass
Summary: All seems to have gone wrong for the CCS crew...or has it?....*new* chapter 2 is up...
1. Default Chapter

7th Warrior Trilogy2 - A New Light  
  
Ah ha! I finally updated this story! It's a tad bit short, but I hope you like it. The start of the second part of the trilogy...  
  
******  
  
It wasn't my fault, I keep telling myself. I didn't do it...I keep telling myself...I DIDN'T DO IT......................did i?  
  
That question just kept circling in my mind. Even after 10 years, it seemed like I could still see all that's happened, like it were yesterday. Maybe, it was inevitable - fate, so to speak. Perhaps, she was supposed to leave our group...   
No. No! She belonged! I was the misfit. I should have been the one to go. It should have been me. Then he wouldn't be where he was; given back what I stole from him. His sanity. I knew what would happen. And I didn't try harder to stop them. I should have. I should have told them about me, the truth.  
They would have understood. They could have helped me. But, I couldn't do it. I could never do it.  
  
My name was and is Bert, and I controlled destiny. And I am afraid.  
  
****  
  
The young woman put her pad away, looking up as the doctor motioned for her to follow. It had taken her ten years, but she was going to fix what was wrong, and make it right. She'd bring everything back. She'd save everyone. She'd find a way to, no matter what the cost. And Syaoran was going to help her. He was the only one left. The others...they wouldn't believe her, that is, if she only knew where they were. He would. If she could get through to him, he would.  
The doctor lead her down several cold hallways, her heels clicking silently as she looked uneasily at each door. Suddenly, she gasped, and clutched at the wall. She felt pain, and bit her tongue, as the torture echoed across their connection. It was very weak, their link, but she felt the hurt so strongly that it must have been horribly great. ' Cameron, I'm coming.' She whispered. He couldn't hear it, but it reassured her some, to talk to her.  
  
" Are you all right, miss?"  
" Hmm?" She looked up at the doctor," Oh, yes. The walls are just extremely bright."  
" Hm, yeah. They'll be repainting them soon." He turned and continued.  
  
After passing more corridors and doors than Bert could count, she saw the doctor hesitate, than take the keys out for a locked one in front of them. It had 5 large bolts on it. A nervous laugh came from the holder of the keys as he shakily looked for the right ones.  
  
" Be careful, miss. This is where we keep the dangerous patients." He warned.  
  
The inside was dark, and the air was stale. Bert felt a shiver run up her spine, as the doctor closed the door behind her. For a minute, everything went pitch black, than as her eyes adjusted, she could dimly make out several figures standing off to one side. She made a move to come forward, when suddenly something muscular and warm snaked around her neck. And something cold and metallic tapped the base of her back.  
  
" Well, well, well. Look what the guard dropped in. A morsel of meat for the lions."  
  
It took all the restraint in her to keep from screaming. She kept still as a mouse, as rancid breath blew on her.  
  
" I say, its time for the feed. What say you, boys?"  
  
Several more voices echoed across the room. She could almost feel the grin, as the man pushed the blade closer up her back, tightening his hold around her neck.  
  
" Girlie, you picked the wrong place to hang."  
" Leave her alone."  
  
The assaulter turned around, whipping Bert's frail body along with it. She continued to keep her calm demeanor, retreating to her mind for comfort.  
  
" Oh, well if it isn't the new boy."  
" You heard me, Hars. Leave her alone."  
" Whatcha going to do about it?"  
" I don't have TIME FOR GAMES, HAR! Leave her alone, or you're going to get a piece of me. And believe me, you'll regret it!"  
  
The man Har hesitated. He didn't like the new boy - who technically wasn't new, but was the youngest of them.  
  
" You want to go the same way Pere did?" Har winced. The boy grinned cockily.  
  
Har grunted, and threw Bert into the stranger. He shook the piece of metal at them.  
  
" I'm warning you girl. Better hope your friend there doesn't disappear, or the next time you come, I'll be waiting."  
  
Bert looked up dazedly, and found herself looking into a familiar pair of golden brown eyes.  
  
" Syaoran?"  
" Do I know you, Miss?"  
" Syaoran, its me. Bert."  
" I'm sorry, but you must have me mixed up with someone else."  
  
Bert could tell Syaoran was lying. He knew who she was. So, why was he pretending not to? She knew why. Before another word passed between them, he got up abruptly, and went to the far end.  
  
" I'm sorry, Syaoran."  
" For, what? I don't know who you are."  
" You do. You just don't want to admit it. I'm sorry, Syaoran. I'm sorry I have to come back and bring back old skeletons in the closet. I'm sorry I have to cause you pain. I'm sorry I caused you pain in the first place."  
"...It wasn't your fault." Syaoran murmurred. Finally, he was talking to her...I mean really talking to her. Perhaps he hadn't become as crazy as they'd thought.  
" Yes it was. Don't try to make me feel better. I knew what was going to happen. I could have stopped you."  
" And had you, I would have never forgiven you." Syaoran said," You did the right thing. You let me do what I wanted. And for that I paid the price. You were right, I was wrong. I didn't listen to what you said...I should have."  
" Syaoran..."  
" If I had maybe..."  
" Syaoran, let's stop dwelling on past. It's too much pain. Right now, I need you focused."  
" Maybe," Syaoran's eyes had become hazed," If I'd just been more willing, to wait..."  
" Syaoran."  
" She'd still..."  
" SYAORAN!" Bert hissed.  
" What?" He said, snapping from his daydream reluctantly.  
" I need your help."  
  
That was almost laughable.  
  
" You? Need my help?" He did laugh, a harsh bark of self derision. " What help would I be? After all, YOU KNEW everything, YOU KNEW what was best."  
  
Syaoran's comment had hit home. Bert closed her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat. Syaoran's eyes fell apologetically.  
  
" I'm sorry, Bert. I didn't mean it. I just..."  
" No." She interrupted," No. You're right. I just needed to hear it from someone. You're right. I was proud of my knowledge. I had to be, I was never really good at much else. I guess I just threw it at people without thinking how I was saying it."  
" You never threw it at people. You were actually so humble sometimes, it made me sick." For a second Syaoran was the old Syaoran that had disappeared for so long.  
  
Suddenly, Bert started to laugh, just out of the blue. Syaoran raised an eyebrow. Were the doctors sure he was the one who needed help? Bert wiped a tear of mirth from her face, leaning against the wall, and staring out into the distance.  
  
" Here I am," She spoke to no one in particular," In a cell, for the most dangerous psychotics in the world, and I'm thinking about jello!"  
  
She started to laugh again, and Syaoran caught her mood. He grinned from ear to ear.  
  
" That's not what I expected. Are you sure I'm the one who needs help?"  
  
Bert calmed down a bit, and her face became reflective.  
  
" You remember that Christmas party...the one right after we'd trained there for about 2 years?"  
" Yeah..." His grin got bigger. So that's where the jello thought had come from.  
" You were sitting at the table, and so was everyone else.." At 'everyone else', Bert faltered, but she could see from Syaoran's expression, that despite his pain, he wanted to remember.  
" Yeah, we'd just finished dinner. Marc," Syaoran's face darkened a little.  
" Made a comment," She finished," about ---."  
  
Bert stopped.  
  
" Go ahead." Syaoran prompted, looking up at a grate.  
" What?"  
" Say her name."  
" I don't understand."  
" Just say it. It doesn't matter. She's far behind me now."  
  
Dropping the Christmas story, Bert stood up.  
  
" You miss her, don't you?"  
" ...yeah..." Syaoran swallowed, it was his turn to have the lump now.  
" Syaoran, before I digress from the subject anymore, I need to ask a favor. And that is that you listen to me."  
" I have been list..."  
" Second, I need your help."   
" ...No...no, I won't be of much use to you..."  
" Syaoran. You're the only one I can hope will believe me. I need your help." She pleaded," Please."  
" Fine. what?"  
" Syaoran. I've seen her."  
" Who?" He said miserably.  
" Sakura."  
  
******  
  
Syaoran stumbled. This was a joke. It had to have been a joke.  
  
" You know, Bert, I've never known you to be cruel, but..."  
" Please, tell me you believe me."  
" Bert, you should know that..." Syaoran stopped, at a loss for words.  
" Syaoran, this is not a subject I'd laugh over. For the past few months, everywhere I turn, I've seen her at least once." She continued quickly," I know, at first, I was skeptical too. I thought it was my brain playing tricks on me...to make up for her absence. But, I just kept seeing her again, and again. Just a glimpse here and there. Syaoran, I'm scared. No one else saw her. Not even Cameron. And no one else believes me."  
  
Syaoran could feel the tension in the air.  
  
" Is she-"  
" Oh she looks well enough. Almost exactly the same." If the light had been brighter, Syaoran would have seen Bert go pale," But, it scares me, Syaoran. That's why I came here. You knew her better than anyone. Syaoran, is she blaming me for her death? Am I being haunted by the ghost of my friend?"  
  
Even in the dim light, he could see she was shaking. He sighed, than looked down at his ring. It had taken a long time, but he'd finally gotten used to its dull blackness. And now, all of a sudden...  
  
" You know, Bert, even when she was...here...I never really understood much about her. I guess it was the mystery of it all that kept our link strong...but, there is something I'm quite sure of. And that's that, no matter what, no matter where, IF Sakura came back, she'd never intentionally scare or hurt her friends."  
  
Bert nodded. Syaoran stretched, and started to walk away.  
  
" Well, if that's all. It was good to see you, reminisce, but I've got things to do. And the warden'll probably have us taking those egad psychology tests again."  
  
" Syaoran, I'm not finished. There's still one more problem."  
" And what's that."  
" I still need your help to put Sakura's spirit to rest."  
" Listen," Syaoran turned around in irritation," Is this some kind of test those doctors put you up to using on me? IS IT?"  
" What?"  
" I've told them all already. I've accepted it. I've dropped it. Why can't they leave me alone. THAT'S it, isn't it?!! I'm not insane. They're just trying to make me insane. They just want me to stay here forever!"  
" Syaoran what are you talking about? You're not making any sense."  
" Go! Go! Tell those mangy doctors that their stupid plans failed! HAHA! I beat you at your own game! No more cafeteria food for me!"  
  
Bert bid a hasty retreat as Syaoran muttered unintelligible things. Maybe she was wrong. Perhaps she wouldn't get any help from him... 


	2. Arisen New

The 7th Warrior Trilogy  
  
1.1.1.1 Part 2 ~ A New Light  
  
1.1.2 By Dragon-Lass  
  
1.1.3 Ye of so little faith…would I be such the sadist? Well, time will tell…  
  
~  
  
Here, in the darkness…I celebrate. For I have won! Against all odds I have won. Delirium tried to make a mockery of me, but it failed! And now, now I will toast! Toast to the foolish Fate for trying to use my own friend against me! Foolish Bert! Foolish girl of hallucination who thought she could pull me further into fallacy. But she didn't win! I did! And shall win hither forth!  
  
Syaoran silently congratulated himself in his cell. He'd won another skirmish against insanity! Soon, he would be able to free himself of these confines, and soon rid himself forever of suffering.  
  
" Cockamamie notion indeed…Alive…See her…DO YOU THINK I AM A FOOL, GOD OF FANTASY? DO YOU BELIEVE ME SUCH THE FOOL, THAT I WOULD JUMP AT SUCH A RIDICULOUS OPPORTUNITY AS PRESENTED?"  
  
The young man leaned back against the wall, relishing the peace and quiet. The 'doctors', having seen his wild breakdown as signs of further deterioration, had locked him into solitary confinement.  
  
" Which is fine! I need no other company!"  
  
Running a hand down his stubble-laden chin, he reached down below his covers, and took out the worn book that had been his constant companion all these years.  
  
" My dear friend," Whispered he to its cover. " We will soon be free."  
  
~  
  
" What am I to do … " Bert whispered softly, as she readied herself for bed once again. " I can't get through to him…and he was my last hope."  
  
She looked about fearfully from the covers of her bed. It was that time again. Soon, the wandering spirit would haunt her. Soon, that restless soul would come again, moaning and groaning all of life's pains.  
  
" Can no one help me?"  
  
Slowly, the hands on the clock quivered, pushing from fifty-nine seconds, to the dreaded minute mark. It was twelve o'clock…  
  
All was silent in the great halls, long since abandoned of student and teacher alike. The cleaning staff were all to bed, and she was alone, the wind blowing eerily through crevices in roof and floor.  
  
" Help me…"  
  
Bert pulled the sheets closer to her head, whispering to self, hoping that tonight the spirit would slumber.  
  
" Help me…"  
  
The voice was soft, and close. Had she not know otherwise, Bert would have thought someone stood by her side, speaking wistfully…  
  
"Help me…Bert…"  
  
Bert stopped shivering, and looked up cautiously. Never before had the spirit spoken her name. What was going on?  
  
" Aren't you my friend, Bert? You've been so good. Help me again. Please."  
  
Fear dissipated slowly. The plea of the ghost was no more one of ominous echo. It was clearer…as if…  
  
" Sakura? Are you…here?"  
  
Silence followed her statement, and Bert bent ready to scream for assistance, as she had done many nights before. Minutes passed, and no answer came. The apprehensive lady in her nightgown slowly sat up, and moved towards the window, where the voice had come.  
  
" S-sakura? Are you here?" Her voice quivered.  
  
" Yes. Yes, Bert. It's me."  
  
Bert looked closer, and sure enough the faint outline of Sakura could be seen against the moon's glare. But, this was no ghost. Her silhouette, though faint against the moon-lit night, was too solid.  
  
" SAKURA!" Bert ran to her friend, but stopped short, expecting to feel nothing except air.  
  
" Don't worry, Bert. I'm as real as you are."  
  
" Sakura! Sakura, how we've all missed you." She reached and hugged her friend.  
  
" I've missed you too, Bert. We shall be better friends this time, then last."  
  
" But, Sakura. You sound different. What's wrong?" Bert pulled away again, fixing glasses, which had gone askew.  
  
" Something is dampening my power to restore my body to full. My physical form is here, but it phases in and out at times, as though I'm being sucked dry."  
  
"But…but, we all thought you'd died in the fiery pit of that volcano…so long ago."  
  
"I very nearly did. Only the thought of seeing my link-mate again…but, tell me. Where is Syaoran?"  
  
Bert looked at Sakura, almost doubtful that she was human. But, her form was clear, and she was solid to the touch. And further more, she'd aged as they had.  
  
" I'm sorry…I'm sorry, I should have done more…" Bert mourned.  
  
" Please, Bert. Tell me. Tell me he still loves me." She gasped, " Tell me he's not hurt. I don't know how I would take it if he is dead, and I am not."  
  
" No. He lives. He has not died, though he very well should have. He mourned your disappearance so."  
  
" Where is he then? Take me to him."  
  
" He's in a hospital for the insane. Nearly tore himself apart. Took nearly a month for him even to remember to eat again, speak again, and walk again."  
  
" Insane! Oh, Syaoran!" Sakura ran for the door, the garb she wore softly shuffling against the rug, "Take me to him, Bert. Please. I need to see him again."  
  
" He may not recognize you, Sakura. May not even believe you are alive. He didn't when I told him."  
  
" I don't care. I would rather be there for him as a dream, then be away from him in reality."  
  
~  
  
And here is where I'm going to pause for now. But, I hope you are reassured. Sakura hath risen! But, now what is to happen? Why is she there, and yet not there? Don't worry I'll tell you in the next chapter. 


End file.
